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' UNITEDv STATES PATENT Ornor...

JOHN E. CHAMBERLAIN AND GEORGE W. KEMP, OF CHARLESTON, W. VA.

RoP'E RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 248,140, dated October 11, 1881.

Application med .my 23,1881. (Nonoal.)

To all whom it may concern:

kBe it known that we, JOHN E. CHAMBER- LAIN and GEORGE W. KEMP, of Charleston, in the county of Kanawha and State ot" West Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rope Railways, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

Figure lis a side elevation of our improved apparatus. Fig. 2 is a cross-section through the check-line and supporting-sheaves. Fig. 3 represents the means employed for loading the suspended ears orA baskets at the upper end of the apliiaratus. Fig. 4 is a cross-section through the suspended conveying-car. Fig. 5 shows a portion ot' the bottom of the car and its locking-bar.

Similar letters ofreference indicate corresponding parts.

lThe object of our invention is to improve the construction and facilitate the proper operation ot' inclined rope railways of the class in which coal, earth, or other material is conveyed from yan elevated to a lower point in cars or baskets suspended from a pair of wire cables stretched between the receiving and discharging points at proper tension, the descend` ing loaded car or basket on one c'able causing the ascent to t'ne loading-point of the empty ear on the other adjacent cable.

The invention consists in the means provided wherebyT the check-ropes by which the suspended car or basket is drawn or held are prevented from bellyiug or sagging between theI car or basket and the drum on which said check-ropes are wound, and in the means provided for the automatic discharge of the load at the lower end of the apparatus, and in certain novel details ot' construction7 as hereinafter'fully described and claimed.

lu the drawings we have only shown one of the wire cables A, which are secured to the upper and lower braced supports, B and C, respectively, and their requisite tension secured by a system of crabs, Winches, or other suitable devices. It is to be understood, however,

that two of such cables A are employed side by side, and each carrying cars or lbaskets D, which are suspended from the cables by means of the skeleton-clevis E, in which a series of sheaves, F, are suitably journaled on ax1epins,as shown', said clevisesE extending downward close to the cables A, to guide the sheaves F and prevent their derailment.

At the upper terminus of the apparatus the winding-drum G, which may be provided with any suitable brake attachment, is journaled in the braced frame-work G. The draw or check ropes H, which are connected to the cars D, are wound around the drum G in reverse ways, so that the descent ot' a loaded car on one ot' the wire cables A will cause the ascent to the loading-point of the emptied suspended car on the other adjacent wire cable, said check-ropes H passing over the guideroller I to the drum G.

In rope railways of this class ais-previously constructed no means were provided for preventing the bellying or sagging from the main wire cables of the check ropes connecting the suspended ears and the winding-drum, which sagging would quite overcome thegravity of the descending loaded cnr when at a point oppostte the ascending car on the adjacent cable and bring both cars to a stop, and consequently compel the use of power other than the gravity ofthe loaded car to lower the lattertothedisclnlrging-point. Weovercomethis usual difficulty bysupporting the check-ropes H in a line about parallel with and adjacent to the main wire cables. The means we employ to this end consist,in the present instance, of a series ot small sheaves, a, which travelv on the wire cables A, said sheaves a being supported on axle-pins b, which are journaled in the clevises d, which depend from the cable A a sufficient distance to support a second series ot' sheaves, e,'on which the check-ropes H rest, and are thus held adjacent to the cables A..

Referring to Fig. 1, it will appear that the sides of each clevis d converge at their lower ends, at which points the connecting-chain h is rigidly fastened to hold the sheave-blocks a e a proper distance. apart to properly support the check-ropes H, the upper end of said chain Y h being made fast at any convenient point to the upper frame-work of the apparatus'. By the ascent of the emptied car these sheaveblcks a e, always supporting the check-ropes H adjacent to the cableswill be consecutively bunched together next the clevis E, their connecting-chains l1, hanging in successive loops from the ends of the clevises d; and on the de- IOO scent of the loaded ears by their gravity' the sheaves a c will also follow said ears by their gravity, meanwhile supporting the check-ropes H adjacent to the cables A. The sagging of said ropes His thus prevented and the loaded .car D will be free to descend all the way to the lower discharging-point by its gravity alone, without the aid ot" any auxiliary power. rlhe lower sheave-blocks, c, are not a necessary part of the check-rope-sumiorting devices, as said check'ropes may run over fixed pins, connecting the sides of the clevises 1 -as, for instance, the axle-pins c; but we prefer to avoid unnecessary friction and wear ofthe check-rol'ies, and consequently use the said sheaves c, as shown.

To load the suspended conveying-cars D at the upper end ot' the apparatus from tramwaycars K,we employ a tilting platform or tipple, J, having thereon a continuation of the cartrack t', which may lead from the interior of a mine or other distant point. The forward ends, fi', of the track on the tipple7 are upturned, so that when the tail-board or loose end of the car K is removed,and the truck-wheels ofthe car brought against the upturned end i', its contents may be readilydum'ied into the suspended car D by tilting the tipple, as shown in Fig. 3, after which the weight J will act to again swing the tipple J and car K to a horizontal position,when said ear K may be run back off the tipple to receive another load.

The means we eniployto automatically dump the contents of the conveying-car D atthe lower terminus ot` the apparatus are described as follows Referring to Figs. l and 5. it will appear that the bottom D ot' the car is hinged at one side, as at l, the bearings l:L rigidly tixed to the bot'- tom D', supporting the bar M, aportion of which may be bent at proper angle, as at m, to permit its outer end to strike the ixed post or bumper O on the descent ot' the car D. The

opposite end ot' the bar-M is slotted at m', to permit the hook-catch j), which is rigidlytlxed t0 the body of the car, to engage through the slot m' with the under side ot' the bar M, and

also permit endwise movement of said bar to release it from the catch p, to unlock the bottom D on the contact of the end m of the bar' with the bumper O. Said unlocking movement will allow the bottom D to swing open downward on its hinges l, as in dotted lines, Fig. 4, to discharge the contents ot' the car D into any ear or vehicle R at the lower end of l. The method of preventing the sagging 0f 65 the check-ropes, which consists in supporting the said check-ropes on independent clevises on the main cable, and in having said elevises connected by a flexible connection, whereby the clevises will spread apart to support the check-ropes as fast as the latter unwind, as set forth.

2. The within-described rope railway, oonsisting of a pair ot' inclined wire cables held at proper tension at their upper and lower ends, and carrying suspended cars or baskets, the draw or check ropes of which are supported on traveling clevises thatrun on the main cable, substantially as specified.

3. In combination with the main cables A and check-ropes H, the traveling clevises d and chain h, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

4. The combination, with thecarD, provided with the hinged bottom D and the catch 19 and the bumper O, ot' the sliding bar M, provided with the bent extension m and slot m', substantially as and For the purpose set forth.

JOHN E. GHAMBERLAIN. GEURGE W. KEMP.

Witnesses:

D. O. SNYDER, J. A. J oNEs. 

